Palm sugar is made from the sweet, watery sap which drips from the cut flower-buds of the palmyra palm or coconut palm. The palm sugar made from both palmyra palm and coconut palm are different.Palm sugar made from palmyra palm are two types, as one will be in the form of a medium-hard blocks of brown-dark-colored, mostly available as rounded, cone shaped; and the other is a light-colored, hard, mostly available as cone-shaped or granules of crystalline sugar. The light colored palm sugar called in local names as 'panam karkandu', and the other called as 'karupetti'.
The light-colored, 'panam karkandu' palm sugar has the power to liquefy phlegm from the lungs. This palm sugar is dissolved in boiled concentrated milk and taken as remedy for sore throat.
Both variety of palm sugar is often used to sweeten savory food, candying, sweets and desserts.
